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Gastronomic Journey in Paris

As I stated earlier we were on a gastronomic journey while we vacationed in Paris. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on fresh bread, real cheese, and a new selection of wine. I’d be kidding you if I said that I didn’t spend a large amount of time researching where we should go and eat. You saw the books, I am hardcore and thorough when it comes to my meals. I started to become a teeny bit overwhelmed by all of the choices we had. Finally after I had made out a crazy long list of where we’d go, I asked Mr. B if he’d mind just winging it when we reached Paris. Mr. B of course was up for anything and reminded me that this was again a vacation, no need to get so wrapped up in the details. (LOVE THIS MAN!)

The best advice we can give is when you go to Paris is just explore! Let your eyes and nose lead you to your next meal.

One major difference we noticed was that the entrée is a starter in France, something we call appetizers. The main course is called the plat principal, or just the plat. Dessert is of course, dessert (THEE most important thing one to know wherever you travel).

If you are curious, we will share just a few of the restaurants we frequented/ I had my camera along during our trip below. These restaurants are in no particular order. Each place was lovely, incredibly delicious, with wonderfully attentive staff making our dining experiences in France an absolute delight.

Swoonnnn… reminiscing about these places still is making my heart flutter and my stomach roar!

We checked into our hotel and after getting settled in we asked the front desk if they had a recommendation within walking distance. This was the place they sent us to. When we think of a cozy French restaurant this is the place that will always come to our minds. There are only about 10-13 tables inside. The place always seems busy with not only travelers like ourselves, but locals too. Upon entering we were immediately greeted and welcomed to a table. The menu is presented on handwritten chalkboards. It was fun to watch the staff move them around to anyone new that came in. The food was excellent! We ordered the rack of lamb with thyme. The dish was evenly cooked from edge to center, absolutely beautiful, tender, Ooooh so melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Thank you for setting the bar with our first meal in France.

After our five mile hike up and to the Sacre Coeur we popped in for a bite to eat. We sat outside enjoying the perfect views of Montmartre. The waitress was helpful with recommendations from the lunch board. The gazpacho and goat cheese Apéritifs are outstanding here, steaks were a bit overdone even after ordering them rare, and the french-fries were perfectly crisp and non-oily. All and all not a bad choice when in the area.

I’m obsessed with macarons and now unfortunately for my husband… he is too. (SORRY) These macarons were worth every single penny when you want quality that’s outstanding with each and every bite. They had the perfect combination of texture and taste. Crispy, chewy and creamy! The staff were so helpful and kind making the entire experience that much more special for us. Go big and splurge with trying a box of all the flavors assorted. (YEP, WE DID).

We enjoy ADORE our coffee in the mornings so we were delighted to find a great little cafe to serve as our home away from home. The owner was incredibly helpful and explained that we could help ourselves with a plate and pick out anything that we liked while he made our coffee and cappuccino order. We felt really comfortable while we sipped on our coffee and nibbled our pastries. This cafe has free wi-fi too!

As the old saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do…. Sooo because we’re in Paris and not Rome…A nutella crepe is a must do! We stopped in for a quick bite to eat after we did the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Everything was fast, service was friendly, and before we knew it our piping hot onion coup, croque Monsieur were just want we needed to keep going with our walk all over the city.

We couldn’t help ourselves! We know we should have been taking full advantage of the fact we were in France, but our nose and belly told us we NEEDED to go here. Everyday when walking by this place had the most incredible aromas wafting out onto the streets. AH! The appetizer plate with a tasting of pickled/ sauteed veggies and breads, outstanding. We ordered a pizza and also the ravioli’s based on others recommendations. The food and service were of this world! Make sure to grab dessert too! We ordered tiramisu and were blown away! Yelp recommendations were spot on!

We grabbed our breakfast sipped our cappuccino and Americano and sat outside watching the world go by. Excellent pastries and breads! Truly not a place to miss while you are in the area. I instantly fell in love with the quaintness this bakery boasted…I mean they have pink walls! The staff were friendly, patient, and very helpful with pronunciation of each item we ordered. (HEY! we certainly tried) We ordered a praline brioche, bichon framboise, and took a baguette to go. (ORDER THE BICHON FRAMBOISE!)

Convenient location just outside the Ecole Militaire Metro exit. Perfect sidewalk cafe for a late night meal or snack. We sat outside enjoying our escargot and sipped on a nice bottle of wine. Did we happen to mention we REALLY enjoyed the escargot??

WOW! It’s hard to even begin to put into words how excellent this meal was. We were incredibly pleased with everything from the service, to the wine, to the meal. A must go if you’re in the area! If you get the chance order Terrine de lapin confit, salade de carottes roses pistachio, saumon, asperges, sucrines, verveine, Filet de bœuf en croûte, Goat cheese cake with blueberries gateau au chocolat du pasteur ! WOWWWWW!!

A teeny tiny little coffee cafe that serves excellent cappuccinos and flat whites. When we travel we are always on the hunt for the perfect beans and most enjoyable cups of jo. This place met the criteria. Make sure to carry cash with you if stopping by, as the barista will only let you use your card if you’ve got an order over a certain total. Sit outside the cafe sipping your drinks, savoring your slice of carrot/ banana bread, and people watch before getting along to start your day.

It was so nice we had to go twice! We really wanted to find a decent restaurant that foie gras while in France and out of pure luck we struck gold! We have no idea how anyone could rate Au Petit Sud Ouest anything less than 5 stars. You will meet and see both the husband and wife owners as they passionately serve food and speak with their customers. We were very luck to get a table the first time without a reservation. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation because they are always very busy. Each table has it’s own toaster so that you can toast your outstanding hearty slices of bread. From the two nights that we visited we ordered, Seared duck fois gras over apples, duck in orange sauce, Foie gras 3 ways, We also had the duck breast with mushrooms and potatoes served rare, duck cooked with green pepper corn, Trio of creme brûlée, pear sorbet. When the owner tells you that the potions are rather large…. believe her… because they are! If you order anything, order the foie gras 3 ways, or the seared fois gras over apples, they two dishes will just melt in your mouth. Now to find a place in Korea…

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